The Other Half
by Kat Potter71
Summary: Harry and Severus have a life together. Will it go on when tragedy strikes? Oneshot, character death


The Other Half

By Kat Potter

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in the world of Harry Potter and no money is being made from this.

An: This fic has yet to be looked over. But as the person who is doing this has not been responding for some time, I decided to post this anyways, so be warned **this fic has yet to be edited and will probably be changed, though minorly**

Severus Snape sat in his new kitchen in his new home he shared with his now lover, the one-and-only Harry Potter. He sipped at his cup of black coffee Harry had made for him before he left for the local store. Oh, and one more thing. They now lived in the muggle world. Now I know what you're thinking. Severus Snape, live in the muggle world? Never! Well, stranger things have happened and they say that love changes you. It had most certainly changed Severus. Oh, he was still the snarky git everyone knows and loves, but the edge had softened somewhat. And if you were to see the pair when he thought they were alone you would say he was practically mushy, for Severus Snape that is, though if you were to say that to his face, you'd be six feet under before you could say 'Avada Kedavra'.

So, Severus sat there, cup in hand, and thought back to the time when he and Harry had been far from amorous with each other. In fact, if it hadn't been for that thrice damned war, they probably wouldn't have ever felt anything but loathing for the other. Now many people thought that their story was a romantic, soppy, fluffy one. They figured that the two had been forced to work together to overpower Voldemort and in doing so, had fallen in love. The truth was nothing so fairy tale as that. It was true however that they were forced to work together but no sudden romance had blossomed from that. They still didn't like each other, though they had set aside their differences in order to extinguish the evil flame in their world. They got through most of their days, Snape training Harry for 8-10 hours and then each going his own way, not even thinking about the other. Then one night Severus was roaming the halls as he was want to do, looking for troublemakers, and saw a sight that he had never dreamed of seeing. Harry Potter, braced up against a wall, eyes squeezed shut and hands digging into the sandy hair of the boy who had his lips around the-boy-who-lived's cock. It was the most erotic sight he had ever seen in his life. And oh so strange. For some reason, Severus had never thought of Harry in a sexual way at all. To him he was almost asexual. Perfect, pure Harry Potter, no one was allowed to touch him. And to see him in this light flipped a switch inside Severus. He felt as if his blood was on fire as he watched Harry shove his cock down the throat of the boy. The boy had obviously put up a good silencing charm, for he could see his lips moving, most likely shouting out some incoherent babble, judging by the look on his face. Severus stood there, watching them for what seemed like hours. It wasn't until the two boys had finished up and were tucking themselves in that he realized his position, eyes almost bulging, cock harder than it had ever been in his life. So he fled to his rooms where he was free to agonize over this recent development.

And agonize he did. For Merlin's sake, he was a grown man and he had reacted like some hormonal teenager! What was worse, he couldn't stop thinking about it. That first night he jerked off about three times during the course of the night. He kept having dreams about Harry, erotic scenes flashing before his eyes. Trying to train the boy was a nightmare. To try and hide what he was feeling, he put up his cold mask once again. He started snapping at the boy again, which he had stopped doing, though he didn't consciously realize he was being so mean. It wasn't until Harry snapped one day and they had an all out row that he realized that things couldn't go on this way. So decided to go see his mentor. Though the old man could be infuriatingly annoying at times, with his all-knowing, twinkling eyes, Severus still loved Albus like a father, more than he had ever loved his own father, who had been a right bastard. And it was with no small amount of trepidation that he mounted the spiral staircase, towards the Headmaster's office. Upon arrival, after declining tea and assorted sweets, he told Albus everything, about that night, though he did not go into details, his frustration every night there after and the trials of going through training now with Potter. Albus Dumbledore twinkled his old eyes at him and proceeded to tell him something that Severus would never in his wildest dreams have thought would come out of that wrinkled, old mouth.

"My boy, this isn't as bad as your making it out to be. It isn't the end of the world that you are having romantic thoughts about Harry. He's quite attractive. And besides, don't you think you deserve a little happiness?" the wizened, old man said.

Severus just stared at him for a second, or two. Then he spoke, quite slowly as if speaking to someone that wasn't quite all there. "Albus, this is the-boy-lived we're talking about. I'd be beheaded by the general public if they ever found out I even had those kinds of thought about, forget about actually doing something about it. Besides, it will be a cold day in hell before Harry Potter ever looks at me _that_ way. The boy hates me."

Albus voiced a contradiction to that. "Now, now, Severus the boy most certainly does not hate you."

Severus rolled his eyes as he sighed in frustration. "All right, I'll admit he may not hate me, but we are at most colleagues. Besides, if the scene which I witnessed is anything to go by, he is already in a relationship."

"Ah, but that is where you are wrong," Albus twinkled at him, "you see, Harry comes quite often these days to chat with me, and he tells me everything, I'd like to think. Apparently, he and Mr. Finnegan have a little agreement… ahh, friends with benefits, I believe it is called these days. Nothing more than helping each other out in these trying times. But, no they are not in a relationship. Harry needs someone who is not in awe of his fame. Someone who challenges him intellectually and who would protect him from the monsters of the world. And you, my dear Severus, fit quite snuggly into all of those categories," Albus said with a pointed look over his half-moon glasses.

Severus snorted. "I think not. I'll admit I'm definitely not in awe of him, and I am most definitely intellectual, if I do say so myself, but wherever you got the idea that I'd protect him like some silly hero from, I'll never know as I think it is absolute rubbish."

"My boy, what do you call what you've been doing ever seen the boy arrived at this school, if not protecting him?"

Severus scowled. "Besides that, I am much too old for him. I'm from the same generation as his _parents _, for Merlin's sake!"

"Ahh, but you have to admit that Harry has had to grow up much sooner than his peers. I doubt he could find anyone from his own generation that would suit him."

Severus buried his face in his hands. "Albus," came a muffled reply, "you are not making this easier for me." He reemerged from behind his hands. "You were supposed to tell me that I couldn't possibly train the boy any longer and demand I leave or something of the sort. You're not supposed to be listing the positive things of me getting together with him!"

Albus once again looked at him pointedly over his glasses. "Would that really be such a bad thing?"

"As I've already said, the boy would never actually be interested in me." He got up and walked toward the door. He was about to open it when Dumbledore spoke once more.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that."

Severus turned around and stared at the man. "What do you mean by that?" Albus just stood by Fawkes' stand, petting him and seemed to be ignoring him.

"Albus?" Severus sighed, quite annoyed.

The Headmaster turned to face him. "You said something? I'm afraid my hearing seems to be going. Old age, you know." The twinkling eyes behind those half-moon glasses just aggravated Severus even more. He turned right back around and stormed out of the office.

So Severus continued training Harry, trying to forget about his attraction and going on with life as normal. Fortunately, he was unable. He couldn't help having his hands linger just a bit longer than normal on the boy whenever he was correcting the boy's technique on something. Whenever he thought the Harry wasn't looking, his eyes would wander over that body that he yearned to touch and taste and smell. Whenever they went through potions, he would press into Harry from behind while correcting his hand movement. This was all unintentional, of course, or so he told himself.

Then one evening, a particularly trying stint of dueling, Severus snapped. They had just stopped, both of them breathing hard and sweating profusely. At one point Harry had removed his shirt and Severus stared transfixed as a single drop of sweat ran down his chest. It wasn't until he heard someone calling him, that someone being Harry, that he realized that the boy was standing over him, trying to wake the man from his trance, and the boy was _so close_. Close enough to kiss even. And Severus Snape snapped. He tugged the boy towards him and proceeded to ravage him. He kissed and licked everywhere his tongue could reach; he wanted to imprint the taste onto his tongue. And listening to the noises Harry made was heaven, the moaning and mewling and eventually screaming, turned the potions master into molten lava and iron steel all at once. The feeling of Harry around him was even better, it was indescribable, and Severus would forever swear that had never nor would he ever, come as hard as he had that night.

But it wasn't until they both lay panting against the wall of the training room, that he fully realized what had happened. He had just had sex with the wizarding world's golden boy. Shit. He was so screwed. What the hell was he supposed to do now! But Harry, it seemed, was destined to save him from the predicament of wallowing in his worries.

"So," he panted, "do you… do you think we could do this again?"

Severus turned to look at him. "I am not willing to be some convenient fuck buddy that you can use whenever you are feeling particularly horny, Mr. Potter."

Harry huffed. "First of all, we have just had mind-blowing sex, the least you could do is call me by my first name. And second, if you want something more than a fuck buddy, as you put so nicely, then all you have to do is ask."

Severus stared at him. "Are you saying that you want a relationship, Mr. – Harry?"

Harry grinned at him, and although Severus would never admit it, he thought it was cute. "Yes, actually, I am. Unless you aren't up to it."

Severus looked thoughtful for a moment. "I just want to know one thing. When you realized you were attracted to me. If you think I'm attractive just because we just had sex, well that's called post-coital glow, and it will wear off soon."

Harry just stared into his eyes for a few moments. "I saw you that night. When I was with Seamus in the hall. You wouldn't believe how hot it was to see you standing there, staring at me like you wanted to eat me whole. And I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since then."

So, Harry and Severus became an item. They defeated Voldemort together and decided to live in the muggle world for a while, at least until the uproar died down, and they could walk down the street without being hounded by reporters. And that was how Severus Snape came to be sitting in a muggle kitchen sipping coffee.

He had almost finished his cup when the doorbell rang. He grumbled to himself while getting up to answer the door. On the other side stood two muggle policemen.

"Severus Snape?" one of them asked.

"Yes," he replied.

"May we come in?" the other asked. "We have something that needs to be discussed."

"Of course," he said, with his usual mask in place. "Would you like a cup of tea?" They agreed and were led into the kitchen, where they sat down at the kitchen table with their cups and proceeded to tell Severus what they came to tell him.

One of them cleared his throat before he began. "You are the, uh, life partner of a Mr. Harry Potter, correct?"

Severus nodded, a little niggling of worry starting to burrow it's way into his heart.

"I'm sorry to say that there was a robbery at the store around the corner. Mr. Potter was unfortunately caught in the cross fire."

Severus felt his heart turn into a block of ice and fall to his feet. He struggled to maintain his usual mask of indifference. The muscles all over his face twitched as he tried to hold in the horrible feeling of despair that was slowly washing over him.

"No."

"I am truly sorry for your loss, Mr. Snape. If it makes you feel any better, it was a clean shot to the head. He didn't feel anything."

Severus stared down at his cup, fingers trembling, trying to stem the violent sorrow that was about to overflow. It took about three seconds for the dam to break.

"NO!" he screamed as he flung his cup at the wall. "It's not true! He can't be dead, that's not possible, not now! Not after all we've been through! We finally found peace; we were supposed to live happily ever after! It can't be true," he sobbed as he slid down the wall.

The two officers hesitantly approached him. "Do you have someone you would like to contact? We could do it for you if you would like."

Severus took a deep breath as he shook his head. "No… no thank you, officers. I apologies for that display," he said as he stood up, mask firmly back in place. "I'll contact those who need to contacted. I thank you for telling me." He led them towards the door. "Have a good day."

They walked out the door, and as soon as it was shut his face crumbled once more.

.:oOo:.

Officer Michael Baxter had never felt worse in his life. Now, you would never find a person that would say that he was pro-homosexuality. But that scene he had just witnessed tore at his heart. The severe man in that apartment was obviously deeply in love with the young man that had been shot. He had noticed when the man opened the door that he was a very reserved man who only showed his feelings to a chosen few. That he had fallen apart so badly only showed him that the young mans loss was felt very deeply.

.:oOo:.

Severus Snape lay for about an hour in the bed he had shared with his lover, before he got up and started cleaning the house. He wanted it to completely spotless when he left. It took him all day and the rest of the night to finish. Then he sat down and penned a letter to those people he thought should know about Harry's demise. They included Dumbledore, the rest of the Golden Trio, Lupin and some other friends Harry had acquired in his life. He sent his owl off with the letters and then proceeded to apparated to Hogwarts. As a potions master he knew exactly how to make invaluable, life saving potions but he also knew what ingredients to mix to make a deadly poison. He had taken some of his potions things with him when they moved but the more dangerous he left at Hogwarts in the much less known potions cupboard, that was in his office, where little, thieving, student hands couldn't get to them and off themselves by mistake.

As he made his way up the lawn towards Hogwarts, he met Albus.

"Why, Severus! What a pleasant surprise. What brings you here?" he asked, his eyes twinkling as usual.

"Just a couple of ingredients I need, Albus. I'll be gone again before you know it."

"Well, happy hunting. And you know you and Harry are always welcome to visit here." He had obviously not gotten the owl yet. Severus hadn't expected him to; after all he had apparated immediately after sending the owl.

"I'll remember that, Albus," he grumbled as he made his way towards the dungeons. He entered his old office, thankful that the new professor was not in. He grabbed the few things he needed and made his way back to his home. There he proceeded towards the room he and Harry had turned into a small laboratory. As he entered it, his sorrow threatened to overwhelm him, but after taking a few deep breaths he was able to control himself. _I'll be back with you in no time, Harry. Just hold on tight_. He was soon busy chopping ingredients and stirring the mess in the cauldron. When it was finished, it was a sickly yellow, reminding him of an open wound, oozing puss.

He then bottled enough and grabbed a bit of parchment and a quill. Entering the bedroom, he sat down at the small desk they had there, penned a short note to Albus, who would most likely find him, interfering old man that he was and then went to lie down on his bed. He stared at the bottle for a few moments. _I'm coming Harry_. Then he gulped down the mixture. It took only a few short moments before he could feel it running through his veins, ending his life.

.:oOo:.

Albus Dumbledore stared down at the body of the man he had considered his son. Fate was cruel, it was true. He did understand though, why Severus had done it. Not many had been privileged to see the love between the two. He read through the note he had found.

Albus, you were right, that day in your office. I do fit snuggly with him. He is my all, my life, my whole being. Therefore, I cannot live without him. If I had believed in soul mates, I would have said that he was mine. I have decided to join him, and I am sorry if I have caused you or any others sorrow, but this is the way it has to be. I wish you and all the others I care about a happy life and hope you forgive me for doing this.

Severus Snape

"Oh, Severus, of course we forgive you. If you had only been open to the idea of it, I could have told you that you two are soul mates. I would not expect half a soul to live without the other."

Fin


End file.
